Traveling block



Feb; 24, 1942. D. M. SMITH ETAL 2 Sheets-Sheet l TRAVELING BLOCK Filed Oct. 51, 1939 ENTo DAV/0 M. 5/14/27, and WILL/AM H. F/SHEB,

ATTOIRNEY.

o. M. SMITH ET AL 2,274,099

TRAVELING BLOCK Filed Oct. 31, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W/zz MM f/s/vfe.

IN VEN T 0188;

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Feb. 24, 1942 TRAVELING BLOCK David M. Smith, Hermosa Beach, and William H. Fisher, Los Angeles, Calif., assignors to Emsco Derrick & Equipment Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application October 31, 1939, Serial No. 302,188

4 Claims.

Our invention relates to oil well drilling apparatus and relates more particularly to a traveling block.

Traveling blocks are employed for handling various pipes, casing, and heavy tools in an oil well derrick. The traveling block consists of a body structure having a plurality of sheaves around which the cable which is also wound around .a crown block at the top of the derrick is wound. The traveling block has a clevis whereby the object to be raised or lowered maybe connected thereto. It is common practice to store drill pipe in the derrick when it is temporarily pulled out of the well so that it will be in a convenient position for relowering into the well.

It is the general object of our invention to provide a traveling block which is of minimumwidth and height in order to give the maximum of pipe storage space in the derrick and to give the maximum working space in a vertical direction. The advantage of this object of our invention is that for-a given size of derrick it is possible to store more pipe on the derrick floor, and for a given height of derrick it is possible to increase the available working space in view of the fact thatthe traveling block, being shorter, can be raised to a higher position in the derrick.

It is an object of our invention to provide a traveling block in which all of the parts are confined between the side plates and in which there are no projecting parts, bolts, nuts, or the like.

It is also an object of our invention to provide a unique bearing arrangement which enables the sheaves of the traveling block to-be placed relatively close together and which is easily assembled or disassembled.

It is also an object of our invention to provide a simple securing means for securing the parts together and for securing the bearings on the bearing shaft of the traveling block, this securing-means cooperating between the side plates and shaft to produce aclamping action whereby the parts are secured together.

It is another object of our invention to provide a, bail and clevis supporting means which includes lugs which are secured and extend inwardly from side plates of the traveling blocks.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will be pointed out in the course of the following detailed description of a form which has proved successful in the industry. We recognize that-various alterations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope 56 alignment.

of our invention, and we therefore wish our invention to be construed in accordance with the preceding statement of invention and appended claims.

The multiple bearing arrangement shown herein is shown and claimed in a broader manner in our copending application, Serial No. 330,708, filed April 20, 1940, for Bearing construction.

Referring to the drawings:

. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken as indicated by the line l-| of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view partly in section.

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary cross-sectional views taken on the lines 33 and 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the bearing arrangement and the manner in which the parts are clamped in place.

We will now refer to the drawings and describe the details of construction of our invention. The numeral ll represents the side plates which may be cut to shape from plate steel. The side plates have cylindrical openings I! which have external counterbores l3 and at the bottom of which are shoulders M. The side plates II are positioned as shown with the cylindrical openings I2 in axial Our invention provides a shaft I5 which, in the preferred form of our invention, is in the form of a drum of relatively large diameter, and which is hollow in order to reduce weight. The drum or shaft I5 is cylindrical and of substantially the same diameter as the cylindrical openings l2. A flange H is formed at one end of the shaft l5 and rests in the counterbore l3 of one of the side plates ll bearing against the shoulder I 4 thereof. It will be noted that the end wall l8 of the shaft is flush with the outer surface IQ of this side plate II. The end of the shaft l5 opposite the flange l1 terminates adjacent the shoulder M of the left side plate II and provides a recess 20 just outside an annular inwardly projecting flange 2|.

The numeral 23 represents a drum or shaft retainer which has a cylindrical portion 24 which fits in the recess 20 whereby it is centralized with respect to the shaft I5. The retainer 23 has an outwardly extending flange 25 which rests in the counterbore l3 of the left side plate II and is adapted to engage the shoulder I4 thereof. The outer surface 26 of the retainer 23 is flush with the surface 19. As shown best in Fig. 5, the retainer'23 is undercut or given clearance, as

shown at 2|,in order that there will be no engagement between the end of the shaft l5 and the adjacent walls of the retainer 23. The rei and spacer or separator rings 52.

tainer and shaft are secured together by bolts which extend through the flange 2| of the shaft i5 and an inwardly extending flange 3! of the retainer 23. The heads of the bolts are positioned adjacent shoulders 32 formed on the flange 2! which are eifective in preventing the bolts from rotating.

The retainer 23 has a pocket 33 in which the outer ends of the bolts 30 rest and in which nuts 36 of the bolts are located. This pocket 33 is closed by a cover 35 which is retained in place by suitable machine screws 31. The cover 35 has a flange 39 which extends adjacent the inner walls of the nuts 34 in sufiicientcloseness to prevent the nuts from rotating when the cover is in place. The nuts are tightened before the cover is inserted in place, and after the cover is inserted in place the nuts are locked from movement so that these parts can not get out of proper adjustment. The cover 35 supports suitable grease fixtures and grease cables, generally designated by the numeral 40, whereby the operating parts may be lubricated.

Supported between the side plates H is a plurality of sheaves 35, which sheaves, in accordance with standard practice, are provided with external V-shaped grooves 46 for receiving a wire rope. The sheaves 15 are rotatably supported on the shaft l5 by bearing means which includes outer races 31 which are situated in cylindrical openings 43 of the sheaves. As shown best in Fig. 5, each outer race 41 has end flanges 49 which cooperate to provide an annular channel 50 in each of the races. The inner races are provided in the form of alternate race members The parts 5i and 52 cooperate to provide inner channels 52:: for the inner races, and operable in the inner and outer channels of each bearing are rollers or other anti-friction means 53. It will be noted that the race members 5| are of the same length as the rollers 53. It will also be noted that the spacers 52 are slightly wider than the width of the flanges 49 in order that there will be a minimum clearance spac between the ends of the outer races fill, thus enabling the sheaves 45 to be placed very close together. The end spacer rings identified by the numeral 521) are slightly greater in width than the flanges 49 in order that there will be a slight clearance space between the side plates 1 l and the adjacent outer bearing races 41.

It will be noted that the race members and spacer rings 5! and 52 have cylindrical openings 54 which are a sliding fit on the shaft l5 and that these parts are alternately arranged on the shaft I5 between the side walls.

It is one of the features of our invention that the sheaves and bearing arrangement may be readily assembled, and this is made possible by the construction of th inner bearing race. The inner bearing race therefore includes two important features. First, it enables the sheaves to be positioned close together, since the spacer blocks or rings 52 act not only as end walls for the inner race channel, but also as the spacing means, and the second feature is the ease with which the parts may be assembled and disassembled. It will be seen that by removing one of the end plates it is possible to remove the spacer 52a which will enable the first sheave to be removed, whereafter the adjacent race member and next spacer ring may be removed which will permit the next sheave to be removed. The parts are assembled in the reverse order.

The parts are designed so that when the retainer 23 is secured in place the flanges I! and 25 engage the shoulders Id of the side plates H and force them together. A clamping action is imposed on the inner bearing assembly, namely, the race members 5| and spacers 52, which is effective in clamping these parts on the shaft l5 so that they will not rotate. The desired pressure is obtained by tightening the nuts 34 on the bolts 30, as desired. As previously pointed out, when the cap 36 is installed in place the nuts 35 can not rotate, and therefore the clamping action is maintained on the side plates H and the inner bearing during the use of the traveling block.

At the upper ends of the side plates it are in wardly extending bail supporting lugs which are preferably rigidly secured to the side plates by any suitable means, such as by welding 6|. These bail lugs 60 have horizontally extending openings 62. The numeral 63 represents a bail having downwardly projecting portions 6 3 which have openings 65 which align with the openings 52. Bail pins 66 are extended through the openings 62 and 65 whereby the bail is secured in place. There is clearance between the openings and pins in order that the bail will not interfere with the proper positioning of the side plates II to obtain the desired clamping action on the inner bearing race. It will be noted that the bail 63 is confined wholly within the outer faces of the side plates H.

Secured to and extending inwardly and downwardly from the lower ends of the side plates II are clevis lugs 10 which are suitably rigidly secured in place, such as by Welding 'H. The lugs 10 have openings 72 for the reception of clevis pins 13. There is a clevis M which is U-shaped and extends downwardly at the lower end of the traveling block, this clevis 14 having openings l5 through which the pins 13 extend. There is clearance between the openings and the pins 73 in order that the side plates ll may be adjusted inward or outward with respect to each other so that the desired clamping action on the inner bearing race may be maintained.

Our invention also provides a lower line guard having an arcuate plate 8! provided with stifieners 82 and having angle members 83 which are secured to the inner surfaces of the side plates 1 i by suitable bolts 84, the heads of which are received in countersinks 85 in order that they will not project outwardly from the side plates and thus not increase the width of the traveling block. Side guards are also provided which are secured at their lower ends to the inner surface of the side plates H by bolts 92 and are interlocked at their upper ends, as indicated at 93. The side guards 90 have slots 94 through which the cable, such as indicated at 95, may extend.

l rom the foregoing description it will be apparent that our invention provides a traveling block which is of minimum width. There is a minimum of clearance between each of the sheaves 45 and between the sheaves and the side plates. The side plates are made substantially flat and are only made thick enough so that they will be strong enough to do the work they are required to do. The sheaves, of course, must be of a certain width in order to have the necessary strength and receive the diameter of wire rope which is used in the derrick. It will be seen that there is no waste space to cause the traveling Llock to be any wider than is absolutely necesinvention and appended claims.

sary. The shaft l and retainer 23 are so deof repair and ease of assembly and disassembly of the parts. The manner in which the inner race is clamped to the shaft i5 is also of importance, and this feature cooperates with the construction of the inner race to provide a simple and eifective means of locking the rollers 53 in definite positions so that the sheaves 45 are definitely supported in a predetermined position in the traveling block. In other words, the bearing means when clamped in place definitely spaces the sheaves 45 so that they cannot move axially but can only rotate around the shaft l5.

In order that the ball or the clevis will not intergether, and is furthermore designed for economy fere with the clamping action previously described clearance is provided between the pins and openings, as previouslypointed out.

It is believed from the foregoing that the features and advantages of our invention may be readily understood and that those skilled in the art may readily reproduce our invention. As previously stated, we wish our invention to be construed in accordance 'with' the statement 0 We claim as our invention:

1. In a traveling block, the combination of a shaft; side plates mounted on said shaft; sheaves surrounding said shaft in closely adjacent relationship; bearings mounted on said shaft for rotatably supporting said sheaves, said bearings having outer bearing races of substantially the same width as saidsheaves and providing roller receiving channels, inner race members on said shaft being narrower than said sheaves, rollers between said channels of said outer races and said inner race members, and spacer rings surrounding said shafts and being positioned between said inner race members, said spacer rings being of a width to space said inner race members so as to support said sheaves in closely spaced relationship, said spacer rings providing side walls engageable by said rollers to restrain said rollers from axial movement; clamp means cooperating with said shaft and said side plates for clamping said inner race members and said spacer rings together. on said shaft between said side plates; a bail secured between the upper ends of said side plates; and a clevis secured between the lower ends of said side plates.

2. In a traveling block, the combination of: a shaft; side plates mounted on said shaft; sheaves surrounding said shaft in closely adJacent relationship; bearings mounted on said shaft for ro tatably supporting said sheaves, said bearings having outer bearing races of substantially the same width as said sheaves and providing roller receiving channels, inner race members on said shaft being narrower than said sheaves, rollers between said channels of said outer races and said inner race members, and spacer rings surrounding said shafts and being positioned between said inner race members, said spacer rings being of a width to space said inner race members so as to support said sheaves in closely spaced relationship, said spacer ringsproviding side walls engageableby said rollers to restrain said rollers from axial movement, said inner race members and said spacer rings being independently adjustable relative to each other and relative to said shaft; clamp means cooperating with said shaft and said side plates for clamping said inner race members and said spacer rings together on said shaft between said side plates; a bail secured between the upper ends of said side plates; and a clevis secured between the lower ends of said side plates.

to provide alternate inner race members and spacer rings, and rollers between said outer races and said inner race members, the ends of said rollers by engagement with said lips and said spacer rings limiting axial movement of said sheaves and holding said sheaves in spaced relation between said side plates; clamp means cooperating with said shaft for causing said side plates to clamp said ring members together on said shaft; a bail secured between the upper ends of said side plates; and a clevis secured between the lower ends of said side plates.

4. In a traveling block, the combination of: a shaft; side plates mounted on said shaft; sheaves surrounding said shaft; bearings mounted on said shaft for rotatably supporting said sheaves, said bearings having secured within said sheaves outer races with lips extending inward from the edges thereof, inner bearing race means consisting of ring members mounted on said shaft in end to end engagement and being so formed as to provide alternate inner race members and spacer rings, and rollers between said outer races and said-inner race members, the ends of said rollers, by engagement with said lips and said spacer rings, limiting axial movement of said sheaves and holding said sheaves in spaced relation between said side plates; clamp means cooperating with said shaft for causing said side plates to clamp said ring members together on said shaft; bail lugs secured to and extending inwardly from the upper ends of said plates; clevis lugs secured to and extending inwardly from the lower ends of said plates; a bail between the upper ends of said plates connected to said bail lugs, there being lateral play in the connection of said ball to at least one of said bail lugs; and a clevis between the lower ends of said plates connected to said clevis lugs, there being lateraiplay in the connection of said clevis to at least one of 

